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The Purchasing Manifesto
PurchTips - Edition #145
February 12, 2008
By Charles Dominick, SPSM
Are You Communicating Purchasing's Benefits?
Because it can be difficult to gain "buy-in" from functional departments when trying to get them to accept Purchasing's involvement, it is important to have a list of reasons why it will benefit them to work with Purchasing. So I encourage you to develop such a list - a Purchasing Manifesto, if you will - to aid in your efforts to "sell" the value of working with Purchasing.
Here is an example of four points you can include in your Purchasing Manifesto.
- Purchasing's Involvement Allows You To Focus On Your Core Competency. You have a very important role in the organization. Your expertise in your function makes you valuable. With Purchasing handling your procurement activities, you'll be able to spend more of your time on what you do best.
- Purchasing's Involvement Helps You Avoid Last Minute Crises. Your department is very busy with many competing priorities. In many departments that meet that same description, procurement activities are often put off until the last minute. This results in failure to find the best value in the market, paying expediting shipping charges, or, worst of all, not obtaining goods and services on-time. Purchasing can help you avoid these headaches.
- Purchasing's Involvement Gets The Most Out Of Your Budget. Unless your department invests in negotiation training for its staff and gives them the daily opportunity to negotiate with suppliers, suppliers may have an advantage in bargaining. Because the purchasing staff regularly receives negotiation training, negotiates daily, and keeps up to date with the latest cost saving techniques, Purchasing can help save your department money and alleviate some of your budget constraints.
- Purchasing's Involvement Can Uncover Unforeseen Obstacles. Whether it be seeing the warning signs of a supplier in financial trouble, identifying a material in short supply, or just knowing the typical timelines associated in getting the goods or services you need, Purchasing reduces risks to your department's operations.
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Spotlight On Professional Development Opportunities
Are you tired of not getting enough opportunities, respect, and money out of your purchasing career? Well, guess what? Nothing will change unless you take action towards becoming a world-class purchasing professional.
You see, today's employers refuse to reward employees for yesterday's skills. They demand that purchasing professionals like you use the most modern skills and achieve unprecedented results. They want you to save more money, achieve better operational performance, and reduce risk.
Earning your Senior Professional in Supply ManagementŪ (SPSM) Certification is the action to take if you want to bring the most modern purchasing practices into your organization and achieve your career potential. Learn how to earn your SPSMŪ Certification (and perhaps get an iPod) at:
www.NextLevelPurchasing.com/spsm.html
The Latest Purchasing News!
- Purchasing Managers: Does your team have the skills to achieve breakthrough results? If you qualify for our FREE Purchasing Skills Benchmarking Service, you'll find out! Apply at: www.NextLevelPurchasing.com/benchmark
- Considering a career move? Since the last edition of PurchTips, at least eight new jobs preferring candidates with the SPSM Certification have been posted at www.NextLevelPurchasing.com/jobs
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